Overview
- Videos show protesters entering Cities Church during Sunday worship, chanting anti-ICE slogans and prompting the service to end early as congregants exited.
- Former CNN anchor Don Lemon livestreamed from inside the sanctuary, said he was reporting as a journalist, and later faced online criticism for his presence.
- Demonstrators said they targeted the church because they believed a pastor works for ICE; records list a David Easterwood at both ICE and the church, but reporters have not confirmed they are the same person.
- DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said it is examining potential FACE Act violations, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI engaged, according to public statements.
- The incident followed days of protest and tension linked to the Jan. 7 fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good, which has fueled broader confrontations in the Twin Cities.